"Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns;there are things we know we know.We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns-the ones we don't know we don't know."
Donald Rumsfeld

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

what to eat for breakfast

Source: I health

What to eat for breakfast?

This is a question I have every morning. This morning by the time I ran out the door I had a slice of toast and a cup of coffee. I am pretty certain that was not the healthiest breakfast I could have had. We have been told for age’s breakfast is the most important meal of the day from the time we were children, however as we’ve gotten older the importance often falls prey to stress, late nights outs, running late for work, and getting the kids out the door. Regardless of the situation what to eat for breakfast is still an important question for people of all ages.

To answer this question, you need to understand what the core components of a healthy meal should always consist of. Every meal should have a certain amount of protein, carbohydrate, and fats. The protein will help you stay alert during the day, making you feel energized, as well as helping you avoid the crash that often comes with pastries, and coffee. The carbohydrate will provide a level of stored energy that is slowly release hours later, providing stamina as well as helping curb hunger pangs, lastly healthy fats will give you the necessary energy needed to go about your day.

This article focuses on providing some key options that should be part of your breakfasts every morning within the categories of; Protein, Carbohydrate, and Fats. Feel free to mix and match the combination as you see fit. In my personal life, I have tried variety of fad diets, and meal plans, and they only last so long before it becomes too consuming to maintain. Having the items below stacked in your fridge for the week can be very instrumental and helping you figure out what to eat for breakfast tomorrow morning

Protein

Protein Shake/Smoothie: There are a variety of ready to drink shakes known as (RTD) these items come ready to drink, additionally you can buy them by the case from your local grocery store. Shakes are quick and can often act as a full meal replacement. Please be sure you check the nutrition label for the calorie count, and sugar count.Sometimes you can buy frozen fruits already cut and packaged to make a fruit smoothie (This is option if more feasible if you have a lot of time, as there is a clean-up factor with making anything yourself in the morning.

Eggs: Eggs are a very good source of protein. Eggs have often been linked to increase in cholesterol levels; however you can purchase eggs beaters from the grocery store, a much healthier choice if you are concerned about cholesterol level, and excess fats. Egg beaters are packaged in containers allowing for easy preparation and clean up. If you prefer the real thing you can always boil a couple of eggs the night before and grab and go in the morning.

Almonds & Nuts: Increase your protein and fat intakes by mixing in a bag, nuts, almonds, pecans, and raisins. This can be munched on while you are in the car driving and getting where you need to be. Just be careful as nuts are very high in calorie count.

Peanut Butter: While peanut butter is high in good fats, it provides you with some good amount of protein in a tablespoon. If you must have a waffle and you are running out the door consider spreading some peanut butter on it to satisfy your morning protein and fat needs. Also consider leaving a jar of peanut butter at your desk. Next time you feel hungry at work take eat a tablespoon full, it will help immensely.

Carbohydrates:

Fruits: It never fails to go with some fruits for your carb needs in the morning. You can mix them up to add variety to your morning. Fruits to consider include, Grapes, apples, melons, oranges, bananas, and the list goes on. If you are running out the door consider having bananas and apples readily available for you and the kids while in the car, you can also purchase mixed fruits in a small container at the grocery store they will last a couple of days.

Veggies: If you are going to make eggs for breakfast, what better way to get your carbohydrate in then mixing in some veggies. Consider adding some tomatoes, spinach, or broccoli to your eggs the next time you consider making in omelet.

Dairy: Plain yogurt and cottage cheese provides a great source of protein, but also have carbohydrates acting as a two for one. Consider eating plain non-fat Greek yogurts. They will provide up to 16 grams of protein with a good amount of carbohydrate. Also consider leaving 2-3 in the office fridge for the week. Whenever you make it to the office without eating breakfast, having one can help you avoid the breakfast sandwich at McDonalds, or Dunkin Donuts.

Cereal: Remove the sugary kid’s cereal out of your cupboard, and focus on whole grains, and granola types. You can mix it with your yogurt, or put some in a container and snack on while walking to the office or while in the car.

Butters: Consider almond, peanut butter, as they are great sources of fats, they can be added to your waffle and whole grain toast.

Walnuts: Walnuts have been associated with protecting against a variety of cancers, but they are also a good source of fats and very portable. Consider putting some in a zip lock and leaving them in the car.

The list above should hopefully provide you some options to consider when figuring out what to eat for breakfast. Many of us live very fast pace lives, and don’t always have time to sit at the table and eat breakfast, let alone have the time to figure out what to eat for breakfast. Sometimes you may have to mix , match and improvised, examples includes eating your yogurt at home while getting the kids dress, grab an apple for the car, and munch on some walnuts while walking from the garage to your office. By the time you get to your office you would have had a complete breakfast and won’t be starving. The most important thing you can do when figuring out what to eat for breakfast is always avoid skipping the meal. This is a disaster and often leads to binging at the office. As with everything else try your best every day at getting some Protein, Carb, and fats in every meal.

What to eat for breakfast is often a challenge, but figuring it out will not only make starting your day a little easier, but May also lead to weight loss. It has been shown that individuals that start the day with a healthy breakfast have less of a tendency to eat junk food through the remainder of the day and snack less often between meals. Having a complete breakfast regardless if it is at home, car, or office will provide you sufficient amount of energy to take you through lunch and avoiding the pitfalls of the office vending machine, and picking through the donuts and cookies that someone thought would be a good idea to bring in.